What was the official statement from Turning Point USA regarding Candace Owens' absence?

1. What the record says: Owens formally left TPUSA in 2019

Contemporaneous reporting and organizational accounts show Candace Owens resigned as Turning Point USA’s communications director in May 2019; coverage framed the move as Owens stepping away to focus on projects such as BLEXIT, her podcast and book, while TPUSA chapters had publicly criticized her role before she left (TheGrio summary of the 2019 resignation ^[1]; People For/Right Wing Watch timeline also notes her departure and new projects ^[2]).

2. TPUSA’s 2019 posture: chapter statements and organizational distance

When Owens’ controversial remarks drew backlash in early 2019, multiple TPUSA campus chapters publicly called for her resignation and the group’s leadership characterized her position as problematic for the organization’s representation — reporting at the time summarizes chapter statements and the organizational response leading up to her exit (TheGrio and historical chapter reactions ^[1]; earlier campus criticism recorded by The Denver Post provides background on the controversy that precipitated calls for her removal ^[6]).

3. Later tensions: Owens’ public accusations after Charlie Kirk’s death

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025, Candace Owens publicly alleged that TPUSA engaged in deception and a cover-up related to the organization’s handling of facts post-shooting; she has explicitly accused TPUSA of prioritizing donor relationships and urged the group to “come forth with the truth” (IBTimes coverage summarizes Owens’ claims and her continued podcast commentary ^[4]; Times of India records Owens listing alleged “verifiable lies” by TPUSA after Kirk’s death ^[5]).

4. What TPUSA officially said (and what’s missing from reporting)

None of the provided sources contain a direct, recent TPUSA “official statement” specifically explaining Owens’ absence or responding to her November 2025 allegations. Wikipedia and TPUSA profile pages record Owens’ former role and departure, but do not quote a current TPUSA spokesperson addressing her absence or the post-2025 accusations (Turning Point USA profile and Wikipedia entries note her past role and resignation but not a contemporary official statement about an absence ^{[7] [8]}). Therefore, available sources do not mention a single TPUSA sentence labeled as the organization’s official statement on Owens’ absence ^{[8] [7]}.

5. Competing narratives and agendas to weigh

Candace Owens frames her absence as a matter of conscience and later as exposing organizational lies — an argument advanced on her podcast and in media summaries ^{[5] [4]}. TPUSA’s historical posture, as reported in 2019, was to distance the organization from Owens after campus backlash ^{[1] [6]}. Readers should note the implicit agendas: Owens benefits from publicizing conflict to advance independent projects and audience growth, while TPUSA has incentives to manage donor relations and organizational reputation; these incentives shape what each side chooses to make public ^{[1] [4]}.

6. What remains unclear and recommended follow-ups

The exact wording of any TPUSA press release or spokesperson comment about Owens’ absence in the 2025 context is not in the provided reporting; available sources do not mention such a statement ^{[8] [7] [4]}. For a definitive “official statement,” consult TPUSA’s press releases, their verified social channels, or direct spokesperson comments from the organization after November 2025; likewise, check Owens’ primary platforms (her podcast, social posts) for her claims and any cited evidence ^{[4] [5]}.

Notes on sourcing and limitations: this analysis uses only the supplied articles and organizational profiles; it does not assert facts beyond what they report and explicitly flags where sources do not provide information ^{[1] [2] [4] [5] [8] [7]}.